My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 467 Jing Sheng Vomits Blood
However, it seems that Liu Biao has no intention of surrendering to the imperial court at all.

In his mind, seeking Zhang Ji's help might still offer a glimmer of hope, while submitting to the court would undoubtedly be like cutting off his own arm, completely losing control of Jingzhou.

Seeing Liu Biao's resolute attitude, Han Song felt helpless and could only suppress his words of persuasion, nodding and replying, "Exactly!"

"Gentlemen, do you think what Degao said is feasible?"

Liu Biao pondered for a moment, then slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the other important officials present.

His eyes held a hint of searching, as if in this perilous moment, he longed to find some solace in the responses of the crowd, or to find a basis sufficient to support his decision.

Fu Xun hesitated for a while before slowly speaking, his voice carrying a hint of caution after careful consideration: "I have heard that General Cao Cao is currently in Guanzhong, stationed in Chang'an, and is doing his best to eliminate the rebels Li Jue, Guo Si and others. Zhang Ji is also listed as one of the rebels. If we were to recruit him at this time, I'm afraid you would lose public support."

His tone rose slightly, revealing obvious concern. Clearly, he was considering the matter from the perspective of reputation and morality, taking a holistic view of Liu Biao's situation.

Liu Biao frowned subconsciously, a surge of indescribable irritation rising in his heart.

With the situation so dire and life hanging in the balance, Fu Xun was still talking to him about popularity!
Can popularity put food on the table?
Can they conjure up an army to save Xiangyang from its dire straits?
Although Zhang Ji had a bad reputation, he actually commanded a force of over 10,000 to nearly 20,000 men. Moreover, more than half of them were veterans from Xiliang, as well as veterans from the Northern and Southern Armies and the Western Garden Army.

These people are quite formidable in combat.

After Han Song's reminder, Liu Biao's heart was already stirred, and he was very tempted by the idea of ​​borrowing troops.

Most of the officials present were keenly aware of Liu Biao's thoughts.

Only Fu Xun, with his overly straightforward personality, said whatever came to mind, completely unaware of Liu Biao's growing displeasure.

At present, Xiangyang City is on the verge of collapse, its life hanging by a thread. However, Liu Biao's inherent pride and unwillingness to submit make him unwilling to bow down to the court so easily.

Everyone present knew perfectly well that Liu Biao would never surrender to the court unless absolutely necessary.

Once he surrenders, he will instantly go from being the ruler of Jingzhou to a puppet under someone else's roof, completely at their mercy.

Without the foundation of Jingzhou, even if one could enter the court and become one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, one would be nothing more than a puppet in Cao Cao's hands, without any real power.

In comparison, while recruiting Zhang Ji might damage some people's reputation, it's nothing compared to losing the entire Jingzhou.

If Liu Biao could truly win over Zhang Ji and the two families joined forces to defeat Liu Feng, even if they could only retain the three counties north of the Yangtze River, he would still be able to firmly occupy the position of a regional warlord in this chaotic world.

Anyone in that situation would probably make the same choice as Liu Biao.

Everyone had their own plans, and for a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became increasingly heavy, as if shrouded in a heavy gloom.

Liu Biao was also filled with mixed feelings at this moment, with various emotions intertwined.

He was filled with remorse, regretting that he had easily accepted Liu Xun's offer of allegiance last year, and even more so that he had acted recklessly this year, heading south without considering the potential threat from Yangzhou.

In fact, as early as when Zhang Xian raised his army in rebellion, many people repeatedly reminded him to pay close attention to the movements in Yangzhou.

Even disregarding Liu Feng's own thoughts, we must consider that Zhang Xian, in order to protect himself, might send someone to Yangzhou to request Liu Feng to intervene in Jingzhou affairs.

However, Liu Biao was blindly confident at the time, believing that his relationship with Liu Bei was quite harmonious and that he had even helped Liu Bei with grain supplies.

In his view, this was merely suppressing a rebellion within his own state, and there was no need to communicate and coordinate with the lords of other states. Such actions would only diminish Liu Biao's prestige and authority within Jingzhou.

He completely forgot that when he took Liu Xun in, he had intervened in Yangzhou's internal affairs without hesitation.

After much deliberation and careful consideration, Liu Biao ultimately decided to reject Fu Xun's proposal.

However, Fu Xun's words gave him a new idea, which made him determined to submit a memorial to the court, requesting the court to intervene and issue an edict ordering Yangzhou to withdraw its troops.

This was not Liu Biao's daydream or wild fantasy.

Although he had a tense relationship with Cao Cao in private, and was even secretly hostile, Liu Biao always showed great deference to the imperial court.

Regardless of Liu Biao's true thoughts, at least on the surface, he was extremely respectful to the court. He not only delivered large amounts of grain and supplies to the court on time, but also generously donated money to sponsor the court to repair palaces and pavilions for the emperor, in order to show his loyalty.

On the surface, Liu Biao and the imperial court had a very harmonious relationship, and Emperor Liu Xie repeatedly issued edicts to praise Liu Biao's loyalty and respect.

This was also where Liu Biao's confidence lay. He planned to prepare a generous gift along with his memorial to the emperor, as well as bribe Cao Cao, the emperor, and the three high officials. He believed that the court and Cao Cao would give him face.

Just as Liu Biao made his decision to send someone to Luoyang to request the court's intervention, while simultaneously trying to win over Zhang Ji to come to his aid and intending to take this opportunity to unfreeze the Nanyang garrison and send them back to Xiangyang, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the main hall.

Immediately afterwards, a person rushed in in a panic.

Upon closer inspection, everyone recognized the newcomer as none other than Cai Mao, who, after the disastrous defeat at Zhouling, had endured countless hardships, detoured through Huarong, abandoned his boat, and traveled day and night to return to Xiangyang.

At this moment, Cai Mao looked so disheveled that he was almost unrecognizable.

His armor was tattered and stained, as if it had been glued to his flesh, indistinguishable from his body. It was covered in soot and stained with dried blood, the congealed clots glaringly bright in the sunlight. His hair was disheveled, his face patchy with black and gray, making him look like a demon crawled out of hell, radiating a chilling aura.

Cai Mao stumbled and staggered all the way to the main hall, his steps faltering and he could barely stand.

Before anyone could even utter a word of reprimand, he suddenly knelt heavily in front of Liu Biao with a thud, his knees hitting the ground with a dull thud.

"Uncle Fang!"

Cai Mao's voice was hoarse and tearful, as if it had been sanded by sandpaper.

"You...you are...?"

Because of Cai Mao's miserable appearance, Liu Biao and most of the people in the hall did not recognize him at first glance. The disheveled man in front of them was so different from the spirited Cai Mao they remembered.

"Lord Fang, it's me." Cai Mao's feelings were extremely complicated at this moment. He felt guilty and ashamed of his defeat, fear of escaping death, and pain of betraying Liu Biao's trust.

These intertwined emotions caused his voice to tremble slightly.

"De...De Gui?"

Liu Biao's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition surged into his mind. He asked tentatively, his voice trembling slightly.

"Are you Degui?"

"Uncle Fang!"

Cai Mao could no longer contain his emotions and burst into tears. As he cried, he kept kowtowing, his forehead hitting the ground with a loud thud.

“Mao can hardly bear to see the face of the governor again.”

"De Gui, how did you end up in such a sorry state?"

Liu Biao felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain unbearable. He seemed to have guessed something terrible, but his instincts prevented him from thinking about it carefully.

Cai Mao wept uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face, washing away the original ashen complexion and leaving streaks of white. He looked utterly miserable. Everyone in the hall was stunned by this sudden scene, and for a moment, only Cai Mao's cries echoed throughout the hall.

Liu Biao spoke tremblingly, his voice shaking with tension and fear: "How did you get here? Where is Huang Chengde? Where are my Xiangyang and Jiangxia naval forces?"

"Uncle Fang... Uncle Fang..."

Cai Mao just kept crying, his sobs interspersed with a few indistinct cries, but he avoided answering Liu Biao's questions.

The people in the hall were not fools. Seeing this scene, they all understood that the situation had probably deteriorated to the extreme, and their hearts sank to the bottom.

Liu Biao could no longer contain his anxiety and anger. He leaped up with a speed and agility far beyond what one would expect from someone his age. He rushed to Cai Mao, grabbed the man's collar, and yanked him up. His eyes were bloodshot, and he roared almost frantically, "De Gui, answer my question! Tell me, where is my Jingzhou army?"

Perhaps it was Liu Biao's fierce expression at that moment, the despair and anger in his eyes that frightened Cai Mao, and he was so frightened that his crying stopped abruptly.

A moment later, under Liu Biao's piercing gaze that seemed to want to devour him, Cai Mao answered tremblingly, "Lord Fang, it's gone... all gone."

"boom!"

These words were like a powerful bomb, exploding in Liu Biao's mind. Everyone in the hall was stunned by these four simple words, and then the entire hall erupted in chaos. Forgetting all etiquette, everyone whispered and discussed among themselves.

"No, no more?"

Liu Biao's voice became shrill with shock. He gripped Cai Mao's collar tightly, the veins on his hands bulging: "Cai Degui, tell me what you mean by 'gone'!?"

Cai Mao, his face ashen and pale, said in a trembling voice, "In early July, Huang Chengde and I joined forces to fight a decisive battle against the Yangzhou navy. The two armies engaged in a fierce battle on the river outside Zhouling City. The battle was so fierce that the sky darkened. Although our soldiers fought desperately, they were ultimately no match for them and suffered a complete defeat. Huang Chengde, the vanguard, was captured alive by the enemy, and the rearguard I commanded fought bitterly until the afternoon before finally collapsing completely."

"Uncle Fang, this is terrible."

Cai Mao, with tears streaming down his face, lamented, "The Yangzhou navy not only has a number of ships that are no less than ours, but also includes dozens of large multi-storied ships and hundreds of large warships and open-rod warships. It's not that we are unwilling to fight to the death, but that our strength is simply insufficient."

Liu Biao's face instantly turned deathly pale, as if shrouded in frost. His lips trembled slightly uncontrollably, as if he were shivering in the cold wind, or as if he were desperately suppressing the fear and despair that was about to burst forth from the depths of his heart.

Clinging to the last shred of hope, he asked in a trembling voice, "Then how many defeated soldiers did you take care of?"

His eyes were full of expectation, hoping that Cai Mao could bring him even the slightest good news, telling him that some of his men had survived, even if it was only a very small number.

After all, his request was not excessive. In a normal battle, even if one suffers a crushing defeat, according to common sense, there will always be a number of people who manage to escape alive.

Isn't Cai Mao right before our eyes a living example? Didn't he also go through hardships and escape from that terrible battle? Liu Biao's idea is actually reasonable and in line with conventional war logic.

In fact, Cai Mao did manage to escape with a group of people, but the number was far from what Liu Biao had hoped for, almost like heaven and earth.

"About two thousand people..."

Cai Mao's voice was so faint it was like the buzzing of a mosquito, and it trembled slightly.

Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Liu Biao's heart hard.

"puff!"

As if struck by this brief reply, Liu Biao suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The crimson blood, like a mournful arc, splattered onto Cai Mao's face, instantly staining his already disheveled appearance.

Then, Liu Biao collapsed backward like a lump of mud, as if he had lost all support.

Upon seeing this, Cai Mao was terrified. He abandoned his previous act of feigning pitifulness. His eyes widened in horror, and he frantically rushed forward, using all his strength to support Liu Biao's swaying body, calling out in panic, "Uncle Fang! Uncle Fang!"

The voice was filled with fear and helplessness.

Everyone then seemed to wake from a dream, as if struck by a thunderbolt.

They quickly recovered from their shock and panic and rushed towards Liu Biao in a swarm.

The crowd gathered around Liu Biao, frantically checking on him, only to find that Liu Biao had fainted from the shock of the sudden bad news.

In an instant, the people in the hall were in an uproar.

The council chamber, usually known for its solemnity and dignified atmosphere, was now like a chaotic marketplace. Those who usually considered themselves virtuous and learned, always putting on an air of superiority and disdain for the common people, were now just like the common people they looked down upon, completely losing their usual demeanor and composure.

They were shouting and yelling, their faces filled with anxiety, fear, and despair. Some were frantically calling for a doctor, while others were blaming and complaining to each other. The entire council chamber was in chaos, as if a terrible disaster was about to befall them.

(End of this chapter)